Changes to the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 came into effect in July 2019, to support safe and appropriate information sharing in the best interests of tamariki.
The provisions give child welfare and protection agencies the ability to request, collect, use and share personal information for purposes related to the wellbeing and safety of tamariki.
An online survey over two timepoints was used to establish an overall picture, and interviews with 32 stakeholders from the sector provided detailed insights into the use and influence on practice of the new provisions.
Key findings from an independent evaluation of this research are now available online.
Ongoing work will focus on supporting a better understanding of the provisions and their use – both within Oranga Tamariki and for the wider sector.
What can you do next?
- Seek opportunities to learn about information sharing provisions
- Use information sharing resources to make sure you, your team and others that you work with understand the provisions
- Build trusting relationships with local agencies, to support information sharing
- Use the provisions to request and disclose information
- Consider what information you hold that could be shared with others to support tamariki and whānau
- Consult with tamariki and whānau about sharing their information
- Respond to information sharing requests in a timely manner
- Talk about how you are using information sharing provisions in your community
How does your organisation use these information sharing provisions? Get in touch with us at communications@ot.govt.nz to share your story.